Download or read book The Ailing Turkish Democracy written by Nikolaos Stelgias and published by Cambridge Scholars Publishing. This book was released on 2020 with total page 137 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Turkey currently has an ailing democratic regime, and the country remains trapped in the gap which separates liberal constitutional regimes from totalitarian regimes. It has been trying to join the former camp for decades, but has not yet made substantial progress in this endeavour. This book documents the four main causes of the â oediseaseâ which troubles the Turkish democracy: namely, socio-economic underdevelopment, the dependent middle classes, the perpetuation of the â oeKurdish Issueâ , and the weak opposition play a significant role in the shaping of the modern Turkish political system. It shows that, following the post-Cold War trend of the developing world of establishing a hybrid majoritarian political system, the Turkish political system constituted the conservative response of the ruling elites to the countryâ (TM)s socio-political changes.

Download or read book The Ailing Turkish Democracy written by Magdalene Antreou and published by Cambridge Scholars Publishing. This book was released on 2019-11-29 with total page 137 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Turkey currently has an ailing democratic regime, and the country remains trapped in the gap which separates liberal constitutional regimes from totalitarian regimes. It has been trying to join the former camp for decades, but has not yet made substantial progress in this endeavour. This book documents the four main causes of the “disease” which troubles the Turkish democracy: namely, socio-economic underdevelopment, the dependent middle classes, the perpetuation of the “Kurdish Issue”, and the weak opposition play a significant role in the shaping of the modern Turkish political system. It shows that, following the post-Cold War trend of the developing world of establishing a hybrid majoritarian political system, the Turkish political system constituted the conservative response of the ruling elites to the country’s socio-political changes.

Download or read book Turkey s Democracy Saga written by Ali Bulac and published by Blue Dome Press. This book was released on 2015-07-07 with total page 291 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Over the last decade, the Middle East has been in a state of extraordinary, at times violent, flux. Once the region’s biggest empire, then its "model" democracy, and always the bridge between the region and the West, Turkey has played a unique role in these movements—sometimes as inspirational model, sometimes as actor, and sometimes as observer. In this collection of essays, Ali Bulaç eruditely addresses issues as diverse as Turkey’s uphill battle for democracy, its relationship with global powers, the Kurdish issue, the AKP-Hizmet row, and the Erdoğan administration’s escalating authoritarianism and its horrific attacks on free speech and the rule of law in an attempt to cover up massive government corruption. Bulaç leverages a wealth of knowledge to dissect Turkey’s vital role in the ongoing conflicts in Syria, Iraq, and Israel, and he uses his position as a government outsider to examine Turkey’s internal dynamics from a fresh perspective. With unprecedented insight, searing commentary, and a profound intellect, these essays by Ali Bulaç form an ideal introduction to the socio-cultural and political canvas of both Turkey and the Middle East.

Download or read book Turkey Under Erdo an written by Dimitar Bechev and published by Yale University Press. This book was released on 2022-01-01 with total page 279 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: An incisive account of Erdoğan's Turkey - showing how its troubling transformation may be short-lived Since coming to power in 2002 Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has overseen a radical transformation of Turkey. Once a pillar of the Western alliance, the country has embarked on a militaristic foreign policy, intervening in regional flashpoints from Nagorno-Karabakh to Libya. And its democracy, sustained by the aspiration to join the European Union, has given way to one-man rule. Dimitar Bechev traces the political trajectory of Erdoğan's populist regime, from the era of reform and prosperity in the 2000s to the effects of the war in neighboring Syria. In a tale of missed opportunities, Bechev explores how Turkey parted ways with the United States and Europe, embraced Putin's Russia and other revisionist powers, and replaced a frail democratic regime with an authoritarian one. Despite this, he argues that Turkey's democratic instincts are resilient, its economic ties to Europe are as strong as ever, and Erdoğan will fail to achieve a fully autocratic regime.

Download or read book Turkey s Difficult Journey to Democracy written by İlter Turan and published by Oxford University Press, USA. This book was released on 2015 with total page 269 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Turkey's Difficult Journey to Democracy provides a thorough examination of the evolution of Turkey's democracy to the present day. After the Second World War, Turkey was considered to have made a highly successful transition from a single party authoritarian state to political competition. Yet, within ten years, Turkey had experienced its first military intervention. During the next forty years, the country vacillated between democratic openings and direct or indirect military interventions. The ascendance in the importance of questions of economic prosperity has helped the deepening and maturing of Turkish democracy, but some impediments persist to produce malfunctions in the operation of a fully democratic system. Through studying the Turkish experience of democratization, Turkey's Difficult Journey to Democracy seeks to provide understanding of the challenges countries that are trying to become democracies encounter in this process. Oxford Studies in Democratization is a series for scholars and students of comparative politics and related disciplines. Volumes concentrate on the comparative study of the democratization process that accompanied the decline and termination of the cold war. The geographical focus of the series is primarily Latin America, the Caribbean, Southern and Eastern Europe, and relevant experiences in Africa and Asia. The series editor is Laurence Whitehead, Senior Research Fellow, Nuffield College, University of Oxford.

Download or read book Turkish Democracy Today written by Ersin Kalaycioglu and published by Bloomsbury Publishing. This book was released on 2006-12-21 with total page 254 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The experience of democracy in Turkey since its introduction in 1950 has been bloody, chequered but persistent. The complex cultural and economic stratification of Turkish society, together with its unique geopolitical status, straddling Eastern and Western zones of influence, in part accounts for the turbulence of Turkey's democratic experience. But, as this important new work argues, Turkish democracy has for too long been treated as a sui generis case, and been cut off from theoretical developments in psephology and comparative sociology. The authors seek to redress this, combining cutting-edge theory with in-depth empirical research to address the key issues in contemporary Turkish politics: the rise of democratic Islamist parties, and the implications of their ascendancy for political stability and democratic governance. They offer important conclusions on voter decision-making in Turkey, and provide a rigorous theoretical framework for identifying trends and anticipating future developments.

Download or read book Democratic Consolidation in Turkey written by Cengiz Erisen and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2016-06-10 with total page 237 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: While Turkey has made major strides in democratic reforms in the late 1990s and early 2000s, progress has, in many ways, stalled. Turkey remains "democratic" in the sense that attaining political power depends upon winning votes, but in recent years its leadership has taken a majoritarian view of democracy and the country has faced problems on issues such as rule of law, freedom of speech, and increased polarization. This book explores the understanding and practice of democracy in Turkey since the early 2000s, analyzing its evolution in light of the parliamentary elections held in 2015. Adopting a more holistic approach in line with the writing of Wolfgang Merkel, it recognizes that a successful, consolidated democracy has various micro and macro-level foundations. The former includes factors such as political values, tolerance, identity, and civil society, while the latter includes political economy, party competition, and institutional development. This volume rejects purely descriptive assessments and instead employs theoretical perspectives to analyze a dynamic political environment. It brings together a range of noted specialists on Turkish politics and society, who employ different methodological approaches and frameworks to offer a distinct scholarly work on democratization in Turkey. A thorough analysis of the problems of democratic consolidation, alongside an awareness of the theoretical and methodological debates in the discipline, make this book essential reading for students, scholars and policymakers interested in Turkish politics, as well as democratization and democratic transitions more generally.

Download or read book Democratisation in Turkey written by Huri Türsan and published by Peter Lang. This book was released on 2004 with total page 298 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Party politics has been undergoing a revival in many democracies. However, parties are much less studied in countries with unstable political regimes. Party interactions can help to provide explanations for the emergence and performance of regimes, whether of the democratic or authoritarian type. This book is a comprehensive case study that analyses, in depth, Turkish political parties. Starting with broad historical analysis, Huri Türsan takes the reader down to the most recent electoral activities and party politics in a country whose topicality is on the rise, not least due to its political problems. While the author deals with many issues of politics (including the role of the military), she focuses on an aspect of party competition which renders democracy problematic in Turkey, namely polarisation in party politics along cleavages.

Download or read book Western Democracy and the AKP written by Mehmet Celil Çelebi and published by Taylor & Francis. This book was released on 2022-12-23 with total page 215 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Upturning the typical view of Turkey’s democratic trajectory as a product of authoritarian assault or unfortunate circumstances, this book argues that the AKP, first elected in 2002, has consistently advanced a narrative of democracy as the work of an elite working for the 'National Will'. Beginning with an analysis of the historical processes that led to the AKP’s rise at the beginning of the 21st century, the book then focuses on the AKP since 2002. Though Turkey’s democratic transition was originally characterised by Western co-operation, the author outlines the gradual deterioration of these relations since the 2010s, as well as the decline of political rights, freedom of expression and the rule of law. However, bringing in theoretical perspectives of democracy, it is argued that the AKP has adopted an alternative definition based on the 'National Will' throughout its rule, resistant to the Western essentialist view. As such, the AKP’s story highlights that the root of this crisis lies within democracy itself. The book will appeal to historians and analysts of Turkish politics, as well as to political scientists interested in theories of democracy. Moreover, for those interested in the global contemporary crisis of democracy, the book provides an important case-study.

Download or read book Democratic Consolidation in Turkey written by Müge Aknur and published by Universal-Publishers. This book was released on 2012 with total page 467 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Although Turkey began its transition to democracy as early as the 1950s, it is still far from having reached a level of consolidated democracy with the country's sixty-year history of democratic politics being punctuated by numerous breakdowns and restorations of democracy. In an attempt to examine why consolidation of Turkish democracy has taken so long, this book aims at analyzing various factors including state, political parties, civil society, civil-military relations, socio-economic development, the EU as an international actor and the rise of internal threats (political Islam and separatist Kurdish nationalism) that both hinder and enhance democratic consolidation in Turkey. By highlighting the strengths and shortcomings of the Turkish experience from these perspectives, this book suggests the optimal policy priorities for current and future Turkish governments to establish a consolidated democracy in Turkey. Contributors: Muge Aknur, Canan Aslan-Akman, Filiz Baskan, Gulgun Erdogan-Tosun, Siret Hursoy, Aysegul Komsuoglu, Gul M. Kurtoglu-Eskisar, Yesim Kustepeli, Nazif Mandaci, Ibrahim Saylan, & Ugur Burc Yildiz.

Download or read book Turkey s New State in the Making written by Pinar Bedirhanoglu and published by Bloomsbury Publishing. This book was released on 2020-08-20 with total page 320 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Since the Gezi uprisings in June 2013 and AKP's temporary loss of parliamentary supremacy after the June 2015 general elections, sharp political clashes, ascending police operations, extra-judicial executions, suppression of the media and political opposition, systematic violation of the constitution and fundamental human rights, and the one-man-rule of President Erdogan have become the identifying characteristics of Turkish politics. The failed coup attempt on 15th July 2016 further impaired the situation as the government declared emergency rule at the end of which a political regime defined as the “Presidential Government System” was established in July 2018. Turkey's New State in the Making examines the historical specificities of the ongoing AKP-led radical state transformation in Turkey within a global, legal, financial, ideological, and coercive neoliberal context. Arguing that rather than being an exception, the new Turkish state has the potential to be a model for political transformations elsewhere, problematizing how specific policies the AKP adapted to refract social dispositions have been radically redefining the republican, democratic and secular features of the modern Turkish state.

Download or read book Turkish Democracy Today written by Ersin Kalaycıoğlu and published by . This book was released on 2006 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "The experience of democracy in Turkey since its introduction in 1950 has been bloody, chequered but persistent. The complex cultural and economic stratification of Turkish society, together with its unique geopolitical status, straddling Eastern and Western zones of influence, in part accounts for the turbulence of Turkey's democratic experience. But, as this important new work argues, Turkish democracy has for too long been treated as a sui generis case, and been cut off from theoretical developments in psephology and comparative sociology. The authors seek to redress this, combining cutting-edge theory with in-depth empirical research to address the key issues in contemporary Turkish politics: the rise of democratic Islamist parties, and the implications of their ascendancy for political stability and democratic governance. They offer important conclusions on voter decision-making in Turkey, and provide a rigorous theoretical framework for identifying trends and anticipating future developments."--Bloomsbury Publishing.

Download or read book July 15 Coup Attempt In Turkey written by Muhittin Ataman and published by SET Vakfı İktisadi İşletmesi. This book was released on with total page 228 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Turkey’s democracy has historically suffered from continuous coup attempts which aimed directly to overthrow the elected governments of the time. At least four successful coups have occurred in a period of 50 years and in July 15 2016 the latest attempt was executed. However, unlike the previous coups, the plotters failed to achieve their goals on the night of July 15, resulting in a triumph for Turkish unity and democracy. As such, the July 15 coup attempt can be considered as an example per se of people power which is worth studying. July 15 Coup Attempt in Turkey: Context, Causes and Consequences presents different perspectives focusing on political, economic, sociological and psychological aspects of the factors leading up to, the events during and aftermath of this historic date. Academicians and journalists have aimed to examine in detail the coup attempt and to present an accurate account of July 15. History and current events are analyzed through an academic perspective, creating a fuller picture to better understand this most recent attempt to compromise the will of the Turkish people. INTRODUCTION MUHİTTİN ATAMAN JULY 15: THE GLORIOUS RESISTANCE OF TURKISH DEMOCRACY ATİLLA YAYLA TURKEY’S CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT AND THE REACTIONARY COUP: SEGREGATION, EMANCIPATION, AND THE WESTERN REACTION ŞENER AKTÜRK MEASURING SOCIAL PERCEPTION OF THE JULY 15 COUP ATTEMPT NEBİ MİŞ JULY 15: POLITICAL ECONOMY OF A FOILED COUP SADIK ÜNAY, ŞERİF DİLEK CULTURE, SOCIAL CONTESTATION AND TURKEY’S FAILED COUP: THE RIVALRY OF SOCIAL IMAGINARIES FARHAN MUJAHID CHAK COUP D’ÉTAT RECORD OF THE WEST AND THE WESTERN REACTION TO THE JULY 15 COUP ATTEMPT MUHİTTİN ATAMAN, GLORIA SHKURTI COUP IN TURKEY AND EGYPT: INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL DYNAMICS GAMAL NASSAR

Download or read book Political Islam and the Secular State in Turkey written by Evangelia Axiarlis and published by Bloomsbury Publishing. This book was released on 2014-06-20 with total page 304 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: How safe is Turkey's liberal democracy? The rise to power in 2002 of the right-leaning Islamic Justice and Development Party ignited fears in the West that Turkey could no longer be relied upon to provide a buffer against the growth of Islamic fundamentalism in the Middle East. Once hailed by the West as a model of secularism and moderation in the Muslim world, Turkey is now seen to be under the influence of the 'creeping Islamisation' of the JDP (or AKP as it is known in Turkey). Yet to what extent has this affected the lives of Turkish citizens? Evangelia Axiarlis here explores the contribution of the JDP to civil liberties and basic freedoms, long suppressed by secular and statist Kemalist ideology, and how this has remained unexamined despite more than a decade in government. In this - the first detailed study of the policies and ideology of Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdo?an's government - the author examines the extent to which the JDP has worked to improve civil life in Turkey and critically addresses whether a government built on Islamic principles can champion political reform. Exploring how Islam and democracy are neither monoliths nor mutually exclusive, this is a timely contribution to the wider understanding of political Islam.

Download or read book Human Rights in Turkey written by Hasan Aydin and published by Springer Nature. This book was released on 2020-12-09 with total page 492 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The book provides the historical setting of Turkey related to the development of democracy, human rights issues, the treatment of cultural and ethnic minorities, and the short- and long-term consequences of the crackdown including impacts on individuals, institutions like education and the media, the criminal justice system, the economy, and Turkey’s standing in the international community. Since the foundation of the Republic of Turkey, the military and the media have been the main traditional powers of oppressive, secularist, and nationalist regimes in the country. After a period of initial reforms, rather than eliminating the structures of the authoritarian state, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan seized the levers of power and used them aggressively against his political enemies. He turned Turkey into a one-man regime after the failed coup attempt on July 15, 2016, and his actions included the widespread violation of human rights. This book tells the tale of the consequences of the measures taken after the failed coup attempt that have adversely impacted the development of democracy and human rights in Turkey, altering the nation’s course of history. Beginning with a State of Emergency that was declared in July of 2016, Turkey has moved to a more authoritarian state. Among the consequences of the actions taken have been imprisonment of hundreds of thousands, the shuttering of media, the dismissal of public employees, the dismissal of academics, jailed elected Kurdish politicians, and the misuse of the criminal justice to victimize the population. Adverse effects have included widespread violations of human rights, torture, and mistreatment of prisoners, false imprisonment, and the absence of the right to a fair trial. This book examines some of the thorniest questions of Turkish democratization and human rights, including the underlying reasons for the decay of democracy and what has happened as a result of this decay. Among these is a deterioration of the educational system, a reduction in economic stability, the absence of the rule of law and due process, a radical transformation of the country, and violations of universal human rights. Endorsements: As one who knows people who have been victimized by the authoritarian regime in Turkey, “Human Rights in Turkey” provides unique insights and perspectives on the changes that have befallen his wonderful country. It is truly insightful. David L. Carter, Ph.D., Michigan State University Human Rights in Turkey: Assaults on Human Dignity fills a major gap in contemporary political scholarship. Its elucidation of Turkey’s democratic backsliding into a one-man authoritarian regime is insightful and unique. Absolutely required reading for anyone who cares about this beautiful country, its wonderful people, and its uncertain future. Kati Piri, Member of the European Parliament and Delegation to the EU-Turkey Joint Parliamentary Committee Aydin’s and Langley’s book addresses critical issues in a critical case. Turkey had been regarded as a rising democracy in a troubled region, but in recent years the country has experienced troubling signs of democratic erosion. Central to that decline is the precarious status of basic human rights of expression, association, religion, and due process. This book explores what has happened and how it affects individuals and the Turkish polity more broadly. John M. Carey, Ph.D.. Wentworth Professor in the Social Sciences, Dartmouth College, NH, USA Turkey was once a poster-boy of the league of modernizing countries – a staunch ally of the West, an almost-democracy that would become better soon enough. It might even be the first Muslim country to join the European Union. That image now lies shattered under the erratic one-man-show of Tayyip Erdoğan. The police state reigns supreme, opposition is cowed, the courts are in shambles, and more journalists are jailed for their opinions than in any other country. How did it all come to this pass? This collection of essays examines the visible and obscure causes of the catclysmic events that have transformed Turkey. They question the long-established state of semi-freedom under secular rule, as well as the “Islamic” challenges that have arisen since Erdoğan’s rise to power. Sevan Nisanyan, Historian, Linguist, and Political Refugee, Greece Situated right at the border between East and West, Turkey and its volatile political development continues to attract attention from people interested in the prospect for democracy. This book offers an impressive and thorough account of the recent democratic backsliding and reveals that not only the hope for a consolidation of liberal democracy but also large sections of the population are victims of rising authoritarianism. Jacob Torfing, PhD., Professor in Politics and Institutions, Roskilde University, Denmark A fascinating book detailing the rapid deterioration of human rights in Turkey, involving false imprisonment, job dismissals, media restrictions, and due process violations. A careful examination of the swift decline of democracy, transforming a prospering country into one where economic, educational, and social stability, and the operation of the justice system were impacted by a government declaration of a State of Emergency. A comprehensive analysis of the ways in which a society changes when human rights are not enforced in accord with the principles of due process and the rule of law. Jay Albanese, PhD., Virginia Commonwealth University, Wilder School of Government & Public Affairs As a human rights activist and a victim of severe human rights violations in Turkey, I recognize the value of the chapters, as they provide a thorough examination and analysis of subjects regarding Human rights violations in Turkey. The book comprehensively chronicles the events pertaining to the steady rise of political authoritarianism. The relevancy of the issues addressed in each chapter make the book important in regard to the emerging civil society movement in Turkey. Furthermore, the descriptions of the severe decline of human rights and the democratic backsliding towards authoritarianism and facism during the last decade in Turkey, highlights the significance of the book. Haluk Savas, PhD., Professor of Psychiatry, Psychotherapist And Editor in Chief of KHK TV (Voice of Rights), Turkey Human rights violations are a world-wide phenomenon, occurring in various capacities and to varying degrees in each country. However, unique to Turkey, is the rapid increase in violations that are not the result of deeply rooted social practices, but rather are contingent upon political decisions. Therefore, the cases of these violations are worthy of study. Hercules Millas, PhD., Political Scientist, Greece We are living in a “Geography of Genocide.”Historically, Unionists (committtee of union and progress) who committed the 1915 Armenian Genocide, established the Republic of Turkey. As a result, a distorted history and official ideology for the state was established. Furthermore, “redlines” in the country, such as the Kurdish Question, the Armenian Genocide, and the Cyprus Issue, were fabricated. Until today, the Turkish Republic remains in denial of the problems that have caused major human rights violations. This book chronicles a very important reality that evaluates the “core state structure” in Turkey, which remains intact even though rulers have changed, through human rights violations. Eren Keskin, Lawyer and Human Right Activist, The Vice-president of the Human Rights Association, Turkey

Download or read book The New Turkey and Its Discontents written by Simon Waldman and published by Oxford University Press. This book was released on 2017-01-03 with total page 362 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Today's Turkey little resembles that of recent decades. Newfound economic prosperity has had many unexpected social and political repercussions, most notably the rise of the AKP party and President Erdogan. Despite unprecedented electoral popularity, the conduct of the AKP has faced growing criticism: Turkey has yet to solve its Kurdish question; its foreign policy is increasingly fraught as it balances relations with Iran, Israel, Russia and the EU; and widespread protests gripped the country in 2013, as did an unsuccessful coup in 2016. The government is now perceived by many to be corrupt, unaccountable, intimidating of the press and intolerant of political alternatives. Has this once promising democracy descended into a tyranny of the majority led by a charismatic leader? Is Turkey more polarised now than at any point in its recent history? These are among the questions at the heart of The New Turkey and Its Discontents, which traces Turkey's evolution under Erdogan's leadership, and assesses the likely consequences at home and abroad.

Download or read book Contemporary Turkish Politics written by Ergun Özbudun and published by Lynne Rienner Publishers. This book was released on 2000 with total page 188 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Since 1945, Turkey has witnessed no fewer than three breakdowns of the democratic process (1960, 1971 and 1980) and three retransitions to democracy (1961, 1973 and 1983). In this text, the author analyzes 50 years of Turkish politics and provides a theoretical and comparative perspective.